Zimbabwe’s progress in family planning and sexual and reproductive health is strengthening its bid to host the 2028 International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP), with an international assessment team currently in the country to evaluate its suitability for the global gathering.
The visiting delegation is engaging Government ministries, civil society organisations, development partners and youth-led groups to assess Zimbabwe’s achievements in the sector, as well as its capacity to accommodate delegates from across the world.
Speaking in Harare, yesterday, Chairperson of the International Steering Committee Secretariat, Ms Kellie Welborn, said the assessment would examine both the country’s hosting infrastructure and its contribution to improving family planning and sexual and reproductive health services.
“We are looking at the country’s capacity in terms of venues, hotels and infrastructure, but, importantly, also what Zimbabwe has to share with the world in the areas of family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights,” she said.
Director of the Gates Institute, Professor Philip Anglewicz, said Zimbabwe was among the leading contenders for the 2028 conference, alongside South Africa, while Rwanda and Egypt had also submitted bids.
He said Zimbabwe’s commitment to family planning, supported by its reproductive health policies and programmes, had distinguished it among African countries.
“Zimbabwe is an excellent example and a leader among African countries,” he said.
Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, said the country’s bid reflected Government’s confidence in the progress made in family planning and its determination to build on existing achievements through international cooperation.
He said preparations had adopted a whole-of-government approach, bringing together relevant ministries and departments to ensure Zimbabwe was ready to host the conference.
“The moment we commit to host such a conference, it means we have done our research, our homework and are fully prepared. As you can see, we are working as one Government, adopting an all-of-government approach,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora said hosting ICFP 2028 would provide an international platform to showcase Zimbabwe’s achievements, exchange knowledge with other countries and strengthen partnerships aimed at improving reproductive health outcomes.
He said the conference would also help reinforce confidence among development partners and encourage continued investment in local health programmes at a time when donor funding was declining.
“From a health perspective, this is an opportunity for us to showcase what we have achieved as a country and establish ourselves as a leader in family planning. The statistics we have presented demonstrate that we have done very well,” he said.
The assessment team will also visit South Africa as part of the evaluation process, with the two Southern African countries emerging as leading contenders for the 2028 edition.
Zimbabwe’s bid comes as Government continues to strengthen healthcare delivery and improve access to essential services, with family planning remaining an important component of national development and efforts to improve the wellbeing of communities.
Hosting the conference would further provide an opportunity to consolidate the country’s achievements. The country’s investment in family planning programmes, reproductive health policies and access to contraceptive commodities has positioned it as a strong contender, with international evaluators acknowledging its leadership in advancing reproductive health across Africa.
